Comments on: Al-Qaeda chief breaks out of jailhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail/
Comments on MetaFilter post Al-Qaeda chief breaks out of jailThu, 03 Nov 2005 17:37:44 -0800Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:37:44 -0800en-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60Al-Qaeda chief breaks out of jailhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail
<a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/alarm-after-alqaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail/2005/11/03/1130823342499.html">Newsfilter: Al-Qaeda chief breaks out of jail.</a> Al-Qaeda's former South-East Asian chief has escaped from a US military prison in Afghanistan. The escape of <a href="http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020923/story.html">Omar al-Faruq</a>, with three other alleged terrorists, from the Bagram Air Base in July was suppressed, emerging only after he failed to testify at a US military tribunal on Tuesday.post:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:26:46 -0800soiled cowboyal-QaedaterrorismOmaral-Faruqescapebungling_foolsBy: my sock puppet accounthttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094838
So, can we charge him for contempt of court then?comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094838Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:37:44 -0800my sock puppet accountBy: smackfuhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094841
Actually, according to ABC News last night, it only came out after he showed up on TV giving instructions to his compatriots on how to break out if they got captured too. Oops.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094841Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:39:35 -0800smackfuBy: loquaxhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094842
Sounds very very fishy to me. If this is all there is to it, then it's a debacle. Escaping by picking a lock and walking out? I really hope there are games being played, and him escaping is exactly what the CIA or whoever wanted him to do.
<em>He provided intelligence that prompted the US ambassador to Indonesia to warn then president Megawati Soekarnoputri that JI was set to attack a "soft" Western target.</em>
Can he even go back to his old compatriots if this is true?
<em>
The escape of Omar al-Faruq, with three other alleged terrorists, from the Bagram Air Base in July was suppressed, </em>
Suppressed by who? The local commanders? That seems unlikely. Suppressed by the US government? Also seems bizarre. Did they not think people would find out?comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094842Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:41:19 -0800loquaxBy: odinsdreamhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094851
We're winning!!!1comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094851Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:44:23 -0800odinsdreamBy: S.C.http://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094852
Great, now there are just that many more number-two Al Qaeda agents running around. And we'd caught so many!comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094852Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:44:30 -0800S.C.By: odinsdreamhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094853
...the war on terror, that is.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094853Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:44:52 -0800odinsdreamBy: my sock puppet accounthttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094855
Why don't we fit all the Al Qaida guys with homing devices or something. It's not like we're above doing things like that at this point. I really hope the CIA has thought of this.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094855Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:45:18 -0800my sock puppet accountBy: Dean Keatonhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094858
I am not buying into it until more credible evidence is shown.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094858Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:47:17 -0800Dean KeatonBy: fire&wingshttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094864
"Officials say that the man guarding his cell fell asleep. Al-Faruq broke a leg from his metal bed and used that to fish the keys from the belt of the prison officer. The spokesman refused to be drawn on the subject of large comedic key rings."
To anyone trying to get near the truth: give up. This is the way America operates now.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094864Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:49:47 -0800fire&wingsBy: odinsdreamhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094871
Might as well have been "Officials say that the man guarding his cell fell asleep. Al-Faruq reached for the keyring sitting on the edge of the desk, but upon being unable to fully reach it, placed one leg out of his cell, which was made of bamboo bars. Still failing to reach the keys, Al-Faruq stepped fully out of his bamboo cell, obtained the keys, snuck back in to his cell and unlocked the door to escape."comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094871Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:54:52 -0800odinsdreamBy: mr_robotohttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094875
<i>If this is all there is to it, then it's a debacle.... I really hope there are games being played, and him escaping is exactly what the CIA or whoever wanted him to do.</i>
You know, chances are that if it was engineered by the CIA, it's going to wind up a debacle anyway. They're like the keystone cops of international covert intelligence.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094875Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:56:41 -0800mr_robotoBy: odinsdreamhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094876
<em>I am not buying into it until more credible evidence is shown.</em>
If only the same were true of that whole WMD thing.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094876Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:56:52 -0800odinsdreamBy: j.p. Hunghttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094878
Shhhhhh!!!
People might start talking about that Bin Laden guy again.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094878Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:57:31 -0800j.p. HungBy: kirkarachahttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094894
<q><i>Officials say that the man guarding his cell fell asleep. Al-Faruq broke a leg from his metal bed and used that to fish the keys from the belt of the prison officer.</i></q>
Isn't that exactly how Otis broke out of jail while <a href="http://www.bigwaste.com/photos/celebs/dknotts/barney.jpg">Barney Fife</a> was sleeping?comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094894Thu, 03 Nov 2005 18:10:21 -0800kirkarachaBy: lumpenprolehttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094908
Ah, they just let him out to get his steam up a little. Once he's tired himself out a bit, they'll nab him again. Poor little tyke, all tuckered out like that. Let's try to get him into his cell without waking him up, okay?comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094908Thu, 03 Nov 2005 18:20:17 -0800lumpenproleBy: cloudscratcherhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094919
I'm not saying this has happened, but letting someone go back into the wild is -- historically -- a very good way to find out what's happening in the wild.
Who knows? I swear, we know more about other planets than we do about Afghanistan.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094919Thu, 03 Nov 2005 18:35:59 -0800cloudscratcherBy: fenriqhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094925
Ooops.
Are there a lot of #2's because Bush thinks they're all dookie?comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094925Thu, 03 Nov 2005 18:39:35 -0800fenriqBy: cleversharkhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094933
It does seems a little Keystone Kops-ish... then again nothing really surprises me anymore.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094933Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:12:10 -0800cleversharkBy: troutfishinghttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094943
Al Qaeda is once again a mighty threat !
.......Torture thousands, have no mercy ?
.......An extra 200 billion for the Pentagon ?
.......Free balloons and cotton candy for all ?comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094943Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:23:42 -0800troutfishingBy: gsteffhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094951
I can't find any mention of this at the NYT, WaPo, or CNN. Incredible.
Or not.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094951Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:30:50 -0800gsteffBy: bshorthttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094954
You're doing a hell of a job, Bushie.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094954Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:34:08 -0800bshortBy: Jon-ohttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094958
So what, do they have Rove and Libby running these prisons now?
Y'know what, lets just let them all out and we can spend the next five years rounding them all up again.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094958Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:40:08 -0800Jon-oBy: DrAwkwardhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094959
Me, I'm always looking for an opportunity to defend myself.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094959Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:42:49 -0800DrAwkwardBy: kickingthegroundhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094963
<blockquote>I can't find any mention of this at the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/03/international/worldspecial/03escape.html">NYT</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/01/AR2005110101423.html">WaPo</a>, or <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/11/01/alqaeda.escape.ap/index.html">CNN</a>. Incredible.</blockquote>Indeed.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094963Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:46:21 -0800kickingthegroundBy: dhartunghttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094964
<i>Officials say that the man guarding his cell fell asleep. Al-Faruq broke a leg from his metal bed and used that to fish the keys from the belt of the prison officer. The spokesman refused to be drawn on the subject of large comedic key rings.</i>
This is almost exactly a plot point in <i>The Living Daylights</i>, except James Bond obtained the large comedic key ring from the Russian guard by force and threw it to the scruffy mujahid, who turned out to secretly be a guerrilla commander. All at a Russian airbase that might as well have been Bagram.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094964Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:46:35 -0800dhartungBy: EarBuckethttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094966
Y'know. . .if I were going to set up an international chain of detention and torture camps of dubious (at best) legality, I'd take a few precautions. Like making sure there were guards on the weekends, so the incredibly dangerous international terrorists couldn't just PICK THE LOCKS ON THEIR CELLS AND WALK OUT. Jesus. How can they be this evil <em>and</em> this stupid?comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094966Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:48:46 -0800EarBucketBy: Jon-ohttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094977
<em>How can they be this evil and this stupid?</em>
It's like they're COBRA or something.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094977Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:57:05 -0800Jon-oBy: gsteffhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094980
<em> I can't find any mention of this at the NYT, WaPo, or CNN. Incredible.
Indeed.</em>
Oops :). I only scanned the front pages.
MSM 1, gsteff 0.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094980Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:58:05 -0800gsteffBy: snsranchhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1094997
Summary Execution eliminates tedious problems like this.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1094997Thu, 03 Nov 2005 21:13:14 -0800snsranchBy: troutfishinghttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1095005
Oh, don't be so hard on gsteff.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1095005Thu, 03 Nov 2005 21:19:42 -0800troutfishingBy: NorthernLitehttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1095007
<i>Some interrogation specialists have said he probably was left naked most of the time, with his hands and feet bound.</i>
No wonder we can't reach Houdini in those seances. He's been reincarnated.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1095007Thu, 03 Nov 2005 21:20:28 -0800NorthernLiteBy: taosbathttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1095056
EarBucket <a href='http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/46380#1094966'>writes</a> <em>"How can they be this evil </em>and<em> this stupid?"</em>
It's all about being a fiscally correct bunch of nutcases...or not.
Thanks, kickingtheground.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1095056Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:05:45 -0800taosbatBy: spockhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1095058
<i>U.S. Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales described the failure to notify the region of Faruq's escape as a "serious problem" and promised an investigation.</i>
That's funny. You'd think that the <b>escape</b> would be the serious problem that would deserve an investigation.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1095058Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:06:35 -0800spockBy: fenriqhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1095091
spock, that just makes it easy to see you're not on the right team, its the failure to keep the lid on the coverup that is the crime. Torture is good, torture is our friend, scapegoats are just like sacrificial lambs, we should be torturing them more, they know more, we should be hobbling all prisoners or keeping them in underground cities from which there is no escape.
And no damned buttinsky reporters! Why don't they go back to asking about what's in Georgie's pockets? Those questions were easy.
Damn it, now I've the image of Gonzales saying "I would have gotten away with it if weren't for those meddling journalists. And the video Omar made and put on tv. And the maps and descriptions of his escape he made and distributed."comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1095091Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:32:06 -0800fenriqBy: Rothkohttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1095092
<i>Summary Execution eliminates tedious problems like this.</i>
<b>S</b>ummary <b>E</b>xecution? Like a capital offense?comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1095092Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:33:22 -0800RothkoBy: bobo123http://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1095128
<i>I really hope there are games being played, and him escaping is exactly what the CIA or whoever wanted him to do.</i>
Well if this was a movie (or <i>24</i>, Season 3 with Salazar, right?) one of the guys who helped him escape would turn out to be a double-agent, or a triple-agent or something.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1095128Thu, 03 Nov 2005 23:44:25 -0800bobo123By: Optimus Chymehttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1095492
BULL FUCKING SHIT.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1095492Fri, 04 Nov 2005 08:25:13 -0800Optimus ChymeBy: creeptickhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1097287
Wonder how long it will be before we find out if any of the Guantanamo detainees have escaped.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1097287Sun, 06 Nov 2005 13:19:28 -0800creeptickBy: Miles Longhttp://www.metafilter.com/46380/AlQaeda-chief-breaks-out-of-jail#1097351
escaped is the new disappeared.comment:www.metafilter.com,2005:site.46380-1097351Sun, 06 Nov 2005 15:21:52 -0800Miles Long